Bacchus on the Beach celebrates ninth year

Attendees seemed reluctant to leave as the event wound down.

  • By Nat Kaemmerer
  • | 7:10 p.m. November 8, 2019
  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
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Bacchus on the Beach, the Longboat Key Club’s ninth annual celebration of food and wine, ended with a mountain of stone crab and dancing in the sand. 

On Friday, Nov. 8, a few hundred people gathered on the beachfront at the resort to indulge in stone crab, shrimp, wine and other delicacies. Twinkling lights glimmered along the massive tent on the beach where all the food and drink was served. Buckets caught the drip from the ever-refilled ice mountain where the crab and shrimp were waiting to be eaten. 

“We come from North Carolina for this,” Sheryl Bryan said. “This is our second year, and we come with some really good friends.” 

This year’s event was to benefit the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus’ College of Hospitality and Tourism Leadership students, who got hands-on experience hosting the event. Proceeds from an auction, where bottles of wine along with a dinner experience went for $900, went to the college as well.

The twinkling tent for the party.
The twinkling tent for the party.
Catherine Avery and Jeff Cianci with wine and food.
Catherine Avery and Jeff Cianci with wine and food.
Stephen Fatica poured a glass for Jackie Wise.
Stephen Fatica poured a glass for Jackie Wise.
Shoes were ditched early on.
Shoes were ditched early on.
Catherine and Mark Kudlacik.
Catherine and Mark Kudlacik.
Deidre Desideri and Candy Greer.
Deidre Desideri and Candy Greer.
Scott and Candy Greer.
Scott and Candy Greer.
Cambria Winery vendors Tracey Cenary, Michelle Maclean and Lynn Glynn.
Cambria Winery vendors Tracey Cenary, Michelle Maclean and Lynn Glynn.
Outside the tent, soft light illuminated the dining area.
Outside the tent, soft light illuminated the dining area.
Pat Moreo and Don Wood from University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.
Pat Moreo and Don Wood from University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee.
Sheryl Bryan and Tom Williamson.
Sheryl Bryan and Tom Williamson.
Mermaids Sarafina Murphy-Gibson, Hannah Bagnall and Rebecca Brillhart with Mark Wholzner.
Mermaids Sarafina Murphy-Gibson, Hannah Bagnall and Rebecca Brillhart with Mark Wholzner.
The mountain barely diminished throughout the night.
The mountain barely diminished throughout the night.
Bonnie and Bill Chapman with Erin Hurter and Ray Collins.
Bonnie and Bill Chapman with Erin Hurter and Ray Collins.
Host auctioneer Andrew Ford and USF student Sarah Paul.
Host auctioneer Andrew Ford and USF student Sarah Paul.
Ralph Harvey and Nancy Amberson start the dancing.
Ralph Harvey and Nancy Amberson start the dancing.
Andrew Vac, Ramona Glanz and Bob Weil.
Andrew Vac, Ramona Glanz and Bob Weil.
Slowly but surely more dancers joined up front.
Slowly but surely more dancers joined up front.
Jerry and Debby Hamburg.
Jerry and Debby Hamburg.
The dancing heats up on the sand.
The dancing heats up on the sand.
USF students gather for a photo.
USF students gather for a photo.

 

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